SCWCD exam is a joke. Passed with 98%

I have working knowledge of servlets/jsps - about 1 year. Never worked with taglibs, security, some other topics. Preparation included to buy JWeb+ and to take 3 or 4 exams. Results were 80-85%. Also had read somebodys exam notes (i guess Mifta's) in total maybe for 5-6 hours, during commuting to work and from it. This morning while commuting to test center, had read print outs with Ken Zrobok exam notes ans some moments from servlet certification... Not much preparations as you see. However, it was enough to spend just 30 min for test (including revision of all questions two times) and get 98%. I was a bit shocked. Whom they develped this exam for? For complete idiots? Do you know anybody who failed it? I think such easy exams just devalue whole idea of professional certifications. What do you think, guys?

Well, I think your score just proves that if you have experience, which is the best education, you should get a great score, and prove the value of the certification. You demonstrated your experience and ability by scoring high. I don't think that devaluates the Certification. Good Luck and congratulations. Mark

Congratulations!! I had minimal working experience on servlet/jsp and no experience on JavaBean/taglib. I spent altogether about 2 months, with averagely 2 hours each working day preparing for the SCWCD exam. I got 93%, it is indeed a valuable learning experience. I am more confident to take some real project, can better understand J2EE web services issues, and maybe take another job/position if needed. Be proud of what you've done! If not, move on to some other things that interests you. :-) -yu chen

Guys, thanks a lot for congratulations I just think you miss the point a little bit. OK, I agree I have some experience (not covering every exam topic), but as you see from my previous post I wasn't spending too much time on learning. Despite this I passed easily. After I got my score, I thought even my minimal learning efforts were way too much for passing this exam I admit, the situation for guys who has no experience on web components is a bit different, exam for them is the method to force themselves into learning of new technologies. It is great, but what about guys who got some experience? As my example shows, there is no point to study more. I don't know everything covered in exam, but my knowledges were sufficient for 98%, meaning that I could forget 1/3 of that I know and still pass the exam. Honestly, I don't think I am very professional web component developer. I would grade myself as 60-70%. You can say it is just my opinion, but I am here basically to share it with you. I think exam should be tougher, or passing score should be at least 80%, or certificate should include exam score. Otherwise almost everyone in short time could prepare for it and pass it. Sun certificate (as it is now) will just prove that there is little difference (actually, no difference, as everybody has same certificate) between some student who spent 3-4 weeks reading books and real professional having real life experience Thank you

"I just think you miss the point a little bit." Actually I got your point. I had a class on EJB which really covered Servlets and JSP pretty well, but I had no experience. I studied for 2 months straight, spent a lot of time memorized the DTD and the spec. It was hard work, I got a 74% on the test. I found this certification to be a great learning experience and definitely not a Joke. So maybe you just don't realize how much you do know and how good your really are. So please don't rub that in, and make others feel bad about their experience and their certification. Because I consider my cert in the SCWCD as very important and very meaningful. Mark

Agree with Mark on this one. I have never had any exposure to Servlets, JSP, or any real form of web programming whatsoever. Without the certification, I feel I wouldn't have a clearly defined set of objectives towards learning what is for me a new technology. Passing the exam is just a cherry on the top.

Hi everybody, SCWCD is not a very tough exam. Would you guys who have passed SCWCD and passed SCJP, tell me which one is more difficult? I would say SCJP is more tricky, and actually more difficult. I have experience with Servlet before, but I don't know anything about JSP. I studied 1 month, but I spend at least 4 hours a day, intensive reading. I got a 96%. And doing Jwebplus exams I at most made 2 errors each exam. My opinion is, SCWCD is for servlet-jsp beginers. For those who are experienced, SCWCD does not mean a lot. But when you go for an interview, what is more important, experience or certifications? I don't put any comments on this one, there were a lot of discussions of this topic already, and it really depends on who is interviewing you. But if I am an interviewer, and I wanna hire somebody to develop Servlet-JSP, I would consider experience first, then SCWCD.

Originally posted by Kyle Tang: Hi everybody, SCWCD is not a very tough exam. Would you guys who have passed SCWCD and passed SCJP, tell me which one is more difficult?

Not to take anyting away from those who passed it, I really think SCWCD is a lot easier than SCJP.

Arthur Doyle
Greenhorn

Joined: Jun 28, 2002
Posts: 10

posted Sep 12, 2002 09:04:00

0

Hey Kyle, you're as bad as Andrey. Do you think people admire this "Hey I've passed the exam with a high mark and I thought it was SOOO easy" attitude? Do you think this impresses people? Or do you just like to wind people up? You're jerking nobody off but yourselves!!! [ September 13, 2002: Message edited by: Arthur Doyle ]

Kyle Tang
Ranch Hand

Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 78

posted Sep 12, 2002 09:09:00

0

Hi there, I am not writing to make SCWCD people feel disappointed. I myself got disppointed when I passed it last weekend. I did learnt some JSP, But the problem is, if all the people go for interviews have SCWCD, what is the value of it? What is my advantage over other people, if everybody has SCWCD? Well during the time you study for SCWCD exam, you learnt. that is great. that I agree. But since my company is going nuts, and if I know all my competitors have SCWCD as I do, I gonna need something else to help my interview.

First, I think there is absolutely no point for a second grader to laugh at a first grader's achievement. If you think you are overqualified, find some other things that challenge you. Second, I think the passing score is determined based on available statistical data, If I spent 2 months studying for the exam, and I know I worked hard for it, I believe it is NOT true that everybody can pass it. That is the first point I think you missed. Third, If the purpose of the SCWCD is to test a programmer's fundamental knowledge of the J2EE web component, I think it is right on the target. Fourth, most jobs requires a B.S degree, if only a small portion (say 10-20%) of the undergrad students can honorly get their diploma, then I think the degree would NOT be required for most of the job, same things applies to SCWCD certification. The certification does not and should not used to prove you a hardcore super Java web developer, nor can any working experience. I see people having years of java programming experiences and yet still had hard time understanding the basic OO concepts. In addition, working for a particular exam did help me focus on the fundamental concepts and force me to think deeper.

The superior attitude of original poster and one or two others here is uncalled for IMHO. If they're so great and wonderful, then I get the impression that no cert exam is worthy of their vast knowledge. Fine. But these types of posts do nothing to encourage and help others working hard to pass this exam. I thought that was the purpose of this board. Also, Kyle Tang seems to have a low opinion of cert exams in general. MEMO TO TANG: you're on the wrong message board!

I have passed the SCJP just recently. I am preparing for another cert. Either SCJD or SCWCD. I worked hard for my SCJP, and I'm proud of it. Hope I will say the same thing when I get my SCWCD in the future. But just a back-up, I'm nearly finishing my master's degree in Computer Science. I think cert and education level is as much as good as experience.

Hi guys, sorry I was away on holidays last 3 weeks. Had really good time First of all, I am sorry to all of you who feel yourself offended by my topic. I did not mean to do that. I just shared my feelings and thoughts with you guys. I am not overqualified web component developer - there are topics where I am very weak in, that's why when I go to _professional_ certification exam, I expect to get some realistic snapshot of my skills. To score 100% in topics where I got solid experience and 50-60-70% in all others. But I got 98% and that's dissapoints me. Does it mean - that's it, I don't need to study anymore? But I don't feel that way. Overall, I think exam is a bit inadequate to its declared goals. Maybe Sun should rename it to sound "Sun Certified Web Component Student"? Kyle, thanks for support

Hello Andrey I'm also with u. SCWCD exam is too easy to pass. You see I scored 91% without any prior experriance. I took 2 months. But whatever it is...it really helps me to learn Servlet/Jsp technology.

Whilst the Web component developer exam is probably easier than the Programmers Exam you still have to know the topics well. I know that based on more than a years worth of real world commercial JSP/Servlet programming I would not have passed it as there were many aspects of the technology I had never touched upon. Considering the stated objectives of the exam, which are that you should know the Servlet/JSP technology well, I am not sure what Andrey was expecting of the exam. Were the questions too obvious or were the incorrect options too easy to spot?

I totally agree with two mark, first of all i work very hard for SCJP 1.2 and 1.4, and i'm proud of it , and currently i'm working on the SCWCD, if i didn't pursue this exams, i will not improve my skills.